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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    High Priority Occupations​

    High Priority Occupations (HPOs) are one component of Pennsylvania's industry-driven approach to workforce development. The purpose of the HPO lists is to align workforce training and education investments with occupations that are in demand by employers, have higher skill needs and are most likely to provide family sustaining wages. Combining statistical data with regional expert input allow for a complete picture of the actual workforce needs of the commonwealth.

    HPO Lists and Information

    2024 HPO Lists
    These lists are valid from August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025.

    HPO Methodology
    Explanation of the updated HPO process and how educational institutions and local Workforce Development Boards can submit documentation to have an occupation added to their local HPO list.

    HPO Petition Form
    Access the updated online HPO petition form, which can be used during the annual petition submission period in the spring. In most cases, additional documentation is required.

     Sample documentation for Employer Demand Petition
    Sample documentation for Career Pathway Petition
    Sample documentation for Local Collaboration Petition

    Please consult the HPO Methodology document above for specific requirements.

    The Pennsylvania CIP-SOC Crosswalk
    View the most current version of the crosswalk file that aligns training programs (classified by CIP codes) and occupations (classified by SOC codes). This information is used to determine the eligibility of educational programs for workforce development training monies. Pennsylvania's CIP-SOC crosswalk has been and will continue to be modified from the national version based on input from various educational facilities and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

    If you require Accessible versions of documents on this site and no alternate versions are available, 
    please call 1-877-493-3282 or send a request to workforceinfo@pa.gov.​​